Is Saliba the best defender in the world?

Is Saliba the best centre-back in world football currently? This is a debate that's been going on probably for the last two years, mainly this season off the back of a great season for Arsenal Football Club and he's carried that form into the France national team during the URL 2024 campaign where you've seen him pocket Lukaku and Lukaku joins a long list of quality centre-halves that unfortunately have played William Saliba and done a grand total of nothing. Is he the best defender in world football, I ask? I mean, he showed his quality in the last two years. He's now doing it for France. He made Didier Deschamps change his initial tune on him. If he has a case of being the best centre-back in the Premier League, naturally, surely you have one of being the best in the world as well and that's one where I would love to know your thoughts, people. Again, he is one of the best individual players in the Premier League in his position to go with Gabriel Magalhães. He's formed one of the best defensive partnerships in Premier League and world football. So, is it a case of him being the best defender in the Premier League? Personally, I mean in the world, personally, I don't think he is in the world. I believe he's got a case but I'd love to know you guys' thoughts. Again, people, you know, if he does have a case, I would like to know why. I don't think he is currently personally but I think he's on the right trajectory and on the right path. I mean, for 23 years of age, if you've played, what, two to three to four official games in a tournament for France and had two real significant seasons in the Premier League for Arsenal and you're in this conversation, then you must be good. Let's not beat around the bush. The man is a generational French talent where defence is concerned. He is the modern-day defender. He will one day be used as the guide point for defenders in the same vein that Van would probably be described as the best modern-day kind of on-paper defence defender. I think Saliba has got all the qualities. I think he's got elegance. You know, he doesn't dive into challenges but does when required. His timing is perfect. He's got this calm aura about him, you know, and he's very focused. He's obviously got the technical level, the defensive awareness, comfortable with a ball at his feet, can carry it forward. You consistently hear me say elegance because I genuinely believe that is the best way to describe him. I just think he's got a God-given talent and you mix that with his humility, his willingness to learn, his improvement when put in difficult situations, his want to defend, his want to make the difference and his mentality. You know, he is a mentality monster. I do think he's got a conversation. He's got a say in this conversation better yet, if I'm honest. Why I don't think he is the best defender in the world, sorry, I keep saying Premier League. The reason I don't believe William Saliba currently is the best centre-back in world football is because it's a bit short-sighted. Again, if he's mentioned in these conversations, he's doing well. But to be the best, I just ask one question as well as a couple of other people. Has he done it for a prolonged period of time? Now he's 23 years of age, you can't, but that is a valid question. Key word and stick with me with this sentence, people. Is he comfortably better than Van Dijk, than Rudiger, than Diaz or insert any centre-half here, you know, really and truly. If the answer is not comfortably better than them, then how can you be the best in the world? Of course, don't get me misunderstood. He can be in the conversation. He's definitely one of those best centre-backs in the Premier League and in the world. He definitely sits at the table. But if he's not comfortably better than a Rudiger, than Van Dijk, than enter any defender I've missed out at the point of making this vid, then how can you be the best? And of course, you could say Demlock might not be comfortably better than Saliba or any of the other names, which is why I'm saying he's in the debate. But how can you be the best? And I do believe to be the best, you know, again, he's 23. Age is obviously a context that needs to be applied. But also, has he done it in the Champions League? Has he done it for a prolonged period in the Champions League? Has he done it for a prolonged period in French football? No, he's beginning in the French national team. Apologies. No, he's beginning to answer these questions, which is why I think, you know, he's in the debate. But for me personally, he's not the best at this moment in time. You know, the very fact that he's in this conversation is a great thing. Respectfully, you know, it's not where you start, it's where you finish. And he will do well to, towards the latter end of his career, still be mentioned in these debates. But with the greatest of respect to Van Dijk, to Rudiger, to insert any name. When they was was they in this conversation? Probably not. So he's on the right path. He's doing the right thing. For me, he needs to just simply put, continue doing what he's doing. You know, you're becoming a linchpin for French, for the French national team. But you need to become that. You also need to be able to thrive. Of course, there's positions that get the best out of players. But for me to be the best, there has to be a level of consistency and performance and higher level of performance, regardless of who's next to you in that centre half partnership, regardless of if you're playing right-sided centre half or left-sided centre half, you know, regardless of what's in front of you. Do you look the same player you do for France as well as Arsenal or any other team? He's beginning to answer these questions. And I believe, in my mind, he has. But in the grand scheme of things, I don't think the body of work is there, if I'm completely honest with you. You know, again, he's turned his haters into non-believers. I won't quite say Didier Deschamps was a hater, but let's be honest, he was quite critical of William Saliba in this tournament. Whether Kennate is still ill, had injuries or whatever, that's his business. Saliba got his opportunity, he took it and he's thriving and he's definitely impressed. And he has to have convinced the French national team staff of his quality. Let's make no mistake, the French are into the latter stages, they're winning games. But let's be honest, we're hardly seeing anything to scream and shout about from a French perspective. They're definitely not England. But where I look at the French team from what I've seen in the competition so far, I would say the players that have caught my eye would be the left-back, Theo Hernandez, obviously William Saliba and N'Golo Kante, as well as Barcelona's Koundé. Now, no disrespect to them, but for all the glitters and glamours of the French players, especially the attackers, the Griezmanns, the Mbappes, the Dembeles, the list goes on. If we're talking about the defenders, that's big up the defenders, but that must tell you that France are not really doing what they should be doing in that regards, people. And again, Saliba is doing his thing, the stocks are rising, he's done it slash doing it in the Premier League. He needs to keep doing it in the Champions League. If I'm honest with you, as much as I think his temperament, his ability, his quality and all the qualities that go into making William Saliba are, you know, stuff that people significantly more experienced don't possess people. I do think in the Champions League, and of course it's a team game, you're only as good as what's around you. But I would say in the Champions League, you know, obviously I want to see you win it, but you've got to thrive in those moments. The Champions League ties against Porto and Bayern Munich is the only time Saliba has looked like a 23-year-old, relatively unexperienced player. And the Champions League was the only time that I think Saliba has been put into uncharted waters. And he's kind of looked like he's quote-unquote nervous or struggled in my opinion. He's had literally two shaky periods in the Euros. Now football is crazy, you can't make mistakes and whatnot, but he's had only two shaky moments. He got bailed out in the first game. And again, it was quality against Belgium, but he did get bailed out there. It happens in football, people. But that's the territory Saliba's going in. Everything is going to be picked upon. He's in that, you know, Van Dijk blinks, people have something to say, people. And I think he's doing what he can, you know, he's building on a solid French national team career. You can only play what's in front of you. He's done quite well. There's a long list of household forwards in the Premier League and now in the national team that he could say he's had a great game against. There's no doubt his stock is rising, people. You know, remember he has reached the stage where now every mistake will be highlighted and nitpicked. He's not allowed to have a bad game, unfortunately, where social media is concerned, people. You see it with Van Dijk and you get to that scenario where people are preying on your downfall. You know, you could keep 10 community sheets. People will say, well, Ivan, you've got 20. You know, you make one bad tackle. You make one, you know, you don't try one certain pass and you go for the safe option. That is now the territory that Saliba is going to go into. Ultimately, you're going to live or die by the high standards you've been set, people. For me, he's developing just fine. At 23, he's only going to get better and, you know, now he's got a quarter-finals to worry about with France and we wish him all the best. I think he responds very well to managers' mind games and I think that's a good test of your character. I remember when he was reintegrated back into Arsenal, initially two seasons ago in pre-season, he said Mikel Arteta didn't speak to him. Most players would crumble. He risked the occasion. Obviously, he's been heavily critiqued in the build-up to France going into the Euros by Didier Deschamps, in which Deschamps is allowed to have his opinion. It's fair to say he's answered that now. For me, I have to say again, you know, he's got that humble arrogance. He's elegant in his actions. He's very patient and impatient where defensive situations are called for. You know, he's got the temperament. I do think he's even polished out the occasional small moments of rashness now, people, and he's risen to any challenge that's been put his way. The challenge is now to keep doing that, in my opinion. As I said earlier, to thrive in any situation, whoever's next to you in the defensive backline, whatever the team shape and philosophy is, you have to have that base level of performance in which he is. And I also feel, although I think Saliba's temperament's great and he's not phased, we've got to remember he's a young man. Of course, naturally, playing in your first tournament with the criticism of the national team, with the criticism of playing for Arsenal, this is going to have some sort of effect on you. And he's 23. I know in today's day and age, you know, if you have a good couple of good games as a young man, you're the best this, that and the other. And people forget that, you know, these are essentially learning their craft. He's going in the right way about it, people, you know, again, and there's going to be more questions. People said, could you do it when Gabriel's not there? Can you thrive in that system without that Arsenal way of playing? You know, as much as football is a funny old game of opinions, people will say, well, you're the bee's knees for Arsenal. Why don't you start for France? Whether that is a fair judgment or not, this is what people are going to say. And I think he's doing that. And I think he's come a long way. And look at the conversations we're having now. We're talking about if he's potentially the best centre back in world football. Remember when Arsenal fans said Mikel Arteta didn't rate him? It's fair to say, once again, his stocks have risen since then. And in the last two years, his rise has been absolutely amazing, people. We also saw the fall off with not having Saliba, obviously, two seasons ago, where we had to throw Rob Holding in and struggled as we looked to fight Manchester City. Saliba played every Premier League minute for us. And it's no coincidence that we ran it down in terms of the Premier League title to the last day. And for me, as an Arsenal fan, I'm happy to be in these debates where you look at Odegaard, Declan Rice, Saliba, Saka. We've come a long way, keeping up the theme specifically with defenders. It wasn't too long ago we had Mustafi, Socrates, Rob Holding, Pablo, Marie, and many more horror stories or jokes of a centre back, people. Look at the conversations we're in. Saliba, individually and collectively, is doing his part to make history. He needs new haters, you know, because his current haters are now fans, people. Ultimately, at 23, he's now coming into his own. The foundations have been set. Now it's time for him to just keep his feet on the ground, keep working and keep flourishing, in which I believe he will, people. And I think one thing that goes against him is his willingness to learn. Like, he really is big on learning and improving and not resting on his laurels. You know, again, the scary thing is that at only 23, with really two significant seasons to the casual football fan, three and a half if you include the Marseille loan, where we all saw that great tackle on Mbappe. Look at the conversations he's in now, people. You know, again, the centre backs that would be mentioned in terms of best in the world, where were they at this moment in time in their careers when they were 23? They weren't in these conversations, which tells you there's a base level for Saliba to work on, people. He's doing very well, you know, for a player that has only 84 Ligue 1 appearances in the French division and 65 Premier League appearances, 83 in total for Arsenal. Look at the conversations. The next step is just to keep doing what you're doing. Keep thriving. I would say for me personally, I don't think aggressive is the best word. And when I say aggressive, I don't mean clattering into players. But sometimes I think Saliba's got, he's too gracious and he's too reactive rather than proactive. I think he could be a tiny bit more proactive. I don't want him to ever change, but I think he's got the capacity to demand that. And I think his quality on the football, that could come out a lot more for France and obviously Arsenal, within reason, people, you know, and force the issue a bit, I feel, people. So I don't think he's the best centre half in the world at this moment in time, but I think he's in the conversation. And as an Arsenal fan, if anyone wants to say he's the best in the world, I won't have a debate in that regard. He just needs to keep doing what he's doing. Keep improving on the catalogue of work he's got at Arsenal. Keep doing what you're doing for the French team. Hopefully some trophies follow because although players shouldn't be judged on trophies, unfortunately they are. You know, you would think it's tennis and it's only one player out there. Just keep doing what you're doing. And I'm so happy we've got him signed under a big contract. I do think for one day he will play for Real Madrid, but let's hope we can achieve some history through that. Is he the best in the world currently? Not for me yet, but I think he's got a conversation to be had in that, people. But with that being said, let me know your thoughts, people. Do you think he's the best in the world? Do you think he's not? What do you feel about Saliba? Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. Most importantly, big up you lot for listening. Let me know your thoughts. Peace.